


Nor the Moon By Night

by Fericita



Category: mercy street
Genre: F/M, Summer Camp AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fericita/pseuds/Fericita
Summary: Emma and Henry take the plunge on a summer night at camp.
Relationships: Emma Green/Henry Hopkins, Jedediah "Jed" Foster/Mary Phinney, Samuel Diggs/Charlotte Jenkins
Comments: 8
Kudos: 8
Collections: Mercy Street Summer Camp AU





	Nor the Moon By Night

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Tales from Camp Green Wood](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23789506) by [BroadwayBaggins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BroadwayBaggins/pseuds/BroadwayBaggins). 



It was easy to believe in a kind and loving Creator right now, standing in the quiet of a summer evening, their hips bound together in a tight embrace. It was like the whole of the mountain was holding its breath. Henry swallowed, unsure how to proceed.

“Are you ready?”

Emma nodded and Henry admired the way she looked so certain, the curve of her smile slightly parting as she licked her lips. “Yes. I’ve been wanting to do this since we opened this summer.”

The mountains were uncharacteristically quiet, he couldn’t hear the whippoorwills or crickets that had kept him up most nights, deafening even inside of the cabin as he lay awake thinking about doing this and any other number of things that he should probably be praying about instead of jumping into. _I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from?_ He shook himself. Now was not the time for Psalms, it was time for action, like Byron and Jed and Sam and even Percival the timid counselor-in-training had urged. 

“Are you sure it’s on right? I haven’t done this before.”

“Give me some credit, I know how to do this. And Anne gave me the tutorial; she’s the camp expert.” Emma gave it a tug to reassure him, and a smile which made him want to answer by giving his own primal nocturnal call, something that would sound across the chasm now gaping at their feet, something that would give her the understanding of how he felt about her that his poor words could not.

Henry took a deep breath and clutched her around the middle. She buried his face in his shoulder. “Ok. Now!”

They jumped at the same time, empty air below and night sky above, the zip of their harness a reassuring sound as it barreled toward the platform on the far end. From here he could see the lake, very still, and the pool, a sheet of glass. No sign of the invading frogs that he had to scoop out each morning before his fourth-grade boys had their lessons. Emma had untucked her head from his shoulder and he saw she was looking out, leaning into the wind their bodies created as they raced down the line. His interest in the view abandoned, he watched it through her eyes – the affection, the interest, the delight playing across them. Their faces were so close, noses almost touching now as she looked over his shoulder and if he just leaned in a bit more he could-

They fell onto the platform, Byron applying the brake as they landed in a pile of arms and legs and intertwined harnesses and carabiners, Emma sprawled on top of Henry. Their faces were so close he could feel her breath and though it wouldn’t have been easy for her to stand up with the way their tandem harness was tied, she wasn’t trying to move either. He took it as an invitation, closing the inches of space of muggy summer air between them to kiss her, knowing that she could probably feel the sweat on his face but suddenly wanting to do this more than being consumed by nerves about it. The smell of pine, the small sigh she sounded as she kissed him back and the whooping of Byron filled the air around them.

“That’s quite a show, you know you have campers watching below!”

Emma rested her forehead on his, laughing a little. Henry put a hand on her cheek, caressing it and trying to communicate the stroke of his thumb that he would like to continue this later, with less of an audience. He moved his head slightly to angle his voice at Byron.

“They’re all in bed in their cabins.”

Byron gestured below. “Not quite. Take a look.”

Henry looked below and could make out small faces, pressed against cabins windows, mouths open and fingers pointing. Emma craned her head to look as well then laughed and dropped her face onto his chest. 

“And if that’s not enough incentive, move now or you’ll be flattened by Charlotte and Sam.” Byron unhooked their cable from the line and shoved at them with his feet. 

Jed and Mary materialized, probably from putting on their own show for the campers, and helped Emma and Henry stand. Mary loosened Emma’s harness and Jed worked on Henry’s as they both pointedly did not make eye contact.

Emma offered her hand to Henry. “Want to go back to our spot by the lake?”

He took her hand, the urge to join the shouts of joy Charlotte and Sam were currently making as they zipped down the cable taking up residence in his throat. Instead, he managed to nod and follow her lead, thinking how delightful it was to be out on a summer night, holding her hand, going to a spot she called theirs. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title and Henry’s internally recited verse are Psalm 121.


End file.
